RECORD SETTER
By Denise Scott
Remember the famous scene in “When Harry Met Sally” where actress Meg Ryan makes some NSFW sounds in a diner. That’s how Bernie Stamm describes his wife’s reaction after he matched the world record in the high jump.
“I had never – in the 30 years I’ve known her – heard her that excited and expressive,” Stamm said with a laugh.
If you’re wondering why you didn’t hear about Stamm – who lives in the Potomac Green neighborhood with Carol, the aforementioned wife – equaling the record, it may be because he’s 87 years old and he was competing in the Maryland Senior Olympics.
The big day came this August. Stamm’s first jump was 1.24 meters, beating the American record in the 85-89 age group. His next jump was even higher – 1.28 meters – equaling the world record height for the age group.
“You may have heard athletes talk about being in the zone,” he said. “I stood there. All of a sudden, the world literally seemed to fade away from my vision. The silence became eerie. All there was, was the bar [and] myself, and then I took off. And it happened twice that day. I mean, you cannot really … describe it. Yeah, that was magic.”
Stamm was an athlete as a teen in his native Switzerland, even winning a heptathlon championship in 1958. But he gave it up at 19 and didn’t return to the sport until he was 71.
After raising a family and reaching retirement (him from the HVAC industry, her from high school counseling), Bernie and Carol moved from Ohio to Virginia in 2009. Bernie became a volunteer board member for the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics.
“I noticed they didn’t have any high jump, for some reason,” he said. “So, first thing I did, I made sure they had high jump the following year. And I redesigned their medals, which looked crummy.”
“I’m probably the only athlete in the world who designed his own gold medals,” he added.
Stamm has now been competing for more than a decade – and he believes he’s getting better with age.
“Truly, I got better starting at age 85,” Stamm said. “I have improved by 8 centimeters. It’s that simple. But it’s all because of my wife. She’s my driving force.”
Carol Stamm travels with Bernie to all his meets and is his biggest – and loudest – fan. But otherwise, she downplays her role in her husband’s success.
“He thinks I’m indispensable,” she said. “I think I’m totally dispensable because he is the most disciplined, organized person I’ve ever met. But I’m really conscious about what he puts in his body. I am a stickler for non-processed foods. I mean – he insists on eating crappy cereal every morning, but that’s all he gets. The rest, I determine.”
Bernie Stamm urges everyone to stay active as they age.
“There are three things in life to stay healthy,” he opined. “One is to exercise at whatever level you can do it. There’s never any excuse. Even people in wheelchairs can exercise. Second is good nutrition, and the third one is the mental aspect of it. I … have a damn good sense of humor, which is something a lot of old people neglect. You got to have fun [and] laugh at yourself first.”
And Stamm might just be laughing all the way to a future winner’s podium if he’s able to hit 1.30 meters the next time he high jumps – a height he hasn’t achieved since he was a young whippersnapper of 80.
BERNIE STAMM’S SIX NO. 1 WORLD RANKINGS
2015: High Jump Outdoor: 1.35 meters
2019: High Jump Outdoor: 1.30 meters
2025: High Jump Indoor: 1.20 meters
2026: High Jump Indoor: 1.24 meters
2026: High Jump Outdoor: 1.23 meters
2026: High Jump Outdoor: 1.28 meters